Is the Bromance Back?
by theputz913
Summary: What happens when the boys head out for that beer at the end of episode 2. This one-shot also appears as chapter 26 in my series of one-shots called Conversations with Family and Friends.


"Lets go get a beer. I'm buying." Javi says after seeing the evidence of Ryan's commitment to their partnership on the television.

"Okay, but not at a sports bar." Ryan grunts after witnessing their beating on the TV.

"How about the Old Haunt?" Espo wonders aloud, trying to come up with an agreeable location to have that drink.

"Fine by me. Let Castle pick up the tab." Ryan grins, "I'm sure he won't mind."

"I still can't believe you took that punch for me bro." Javi says shaking his head.

"Javier, I told you once, that's what partners do. Right?" Ryan says in a serious tone.

"Yes, partners. But things weren't good with us." Espo says is disbelief.

"Still partners though." Kevin states, looking his partner in the eyes.

"I'm still not okay with you going to Gates." Espo says with a glare.

"Javi, I had to. If I hadn't, we would be attending Beckett's funeral. You know she loses all perspective when it comes to her mom's case. I understand you having her back and going after Maddox, but I didn't agree with how you were doing it." Kevin says, explaining his side of things.

"I had to go with her Kevin. I know how she is too but I couldn't let her go alone! I had to make sure somebody had her back! She would have ended up dead for sure. If Gates would have gotten wind of what we were doing sooner, she would have sent the boss home and she still wouldn't know who is behind her mom's murder." Esposito answers with his own thoughts on the rift that formed between them.

"We both did what we thought was best for her. I'm just sorry you felt that I stabbed you in the back." Kevin says shaking his head as he looks down at his feet refusing to maintain eye contact.

"I'm still mad about it but we're partners. It's gonna take some time man." Javi states matter-of-factly. "But we will be okay."

"I was surprised to see Castle when we got the call about the body drop." Ryan says switching to an easier topic.

"It seems like Castle is back on the team again. I guess Mom and Dad made up?" Javi wonders aloud.

"Guess so, he was at her place last week when I went to see her about Maddox. When I showed Beckett the picture of Mr. Smith from Captain Montgomery's wedding album, it was Castle that knew who he was. Apparently, he had talked to the guy and kept it from her. I'm guessing that his not telling her, led to him getting kicked off the team." Kevin lays out the information that Espo hadn't been privy to since he wasn't at Kate's place at the time. "He seemed nervous about something though. He was acting a little weird...there was a little tension in the room." He adds shrugging his shoulders.

"Maybe he was just worried about her. You know how he feels about her. Maybe you interrupted something! Maybe they were still trying to fix things... Maybe they were doing something else." Esposito adds with a wry smile.

"Dude! Do you think that..." Kevin stops, not wanting to voice the thought about his two friends.

"No! She's way too stubborn. She has wanted him ever since that summer he left with ex # 2 and hasn't done anything about it... Why would that change now?" Javier says adamantly while shaking his head.

"Well she did almost die again! And he wasn't there to save her this time. Maybe she..." He starts, but sees his partner shaking his head no.

"Nah. You know them. They always fight and eventually work it out. It's what they do." He says as he brings his beer to his mouth for a drink.

"Yeah, but this is the first summer since we've known him that he hasn't disappeared over the summer." Ryan argues, trying to find some logic in all of this.

"Not true. He stayed last summer..." Esposito says with a far off glance, maybe getting lost in the aftermath of Beckett's shooting.

"Yeah, but she was gone and had frozen him out. He was trying to help us find her shooter." Ryan adds as an afterthought, not really helping his own argument.

"Well they're both here this time! And, from what I heard Mrs R. and Little Castle are in Europe celebrating her graduation. Why wouldn't he be with them? It's his last summer with her before she starts college in the fall." Espo theorizes about Castle's continued attendance at the precinct.

"We were still dealing with Maddox when they left, right?" Kevin tries to justify Rick still being in town.

"Don't know, but Beckett was still suspended after that but he stuck around." Javi adds.

"I guess we are gonna have to keep an eye on Mom and Dad!" Kevin shrugs with a big grin on his face. "We need to see what Lanie knows, her and Beckett talk."

"Lanie said something at the crime scene about Beckett being different but she couldn't put her finger on it." Javi shares his one-time girlfriend's observation. "He didn't even bring her coffee on her first day back from suspension Bro." He adds before taking another swig of his beer.

"Four years of bringing her coffee every morning and he suddenly forgets? Maybe he didn't have time." Kevin mumbles trying to give Castle the benefit of the doubt.

"Dude he had his coffee, just not hers. I called him out on it when they walked up but she said she had already forgiven him." Esposito grumbles.

"She didn't even give him a hard time about it? No Beckett glare, nothing?" Ryan blurts, obviously surprised that Castle got off so easy.

"Nope, it was weird man!" Espo groans with an expression of someone who bit into a lemon.

"Maybe he's giving up and the no coffee thing is just the start of him pulling away like he did last year after the bombing case and when he left with ex # 2." Kevin says remembering other times that Castle has failed to bring their boss her morning jolt of caffeine.

"Yeah he did go out on a date with that hot chica from the television station." Javi says with a leer.

"I wish mom and dad would just admit how they feel." Ryan mutters under his breath or so he thought.

"Not gonna happen. I think Beckett missed her chance...again." Espo growls.

"There is something different between them though." Ryan utters as his grabs his beer.

"Finish your beer Bro! We sound like a bunch of girls talking about feelings and stuff. That is wrong on so many levels!" Javi says as he takes the last gulp of beer from his bottle.

"Yeah, I think we've been hanging around Castle too much." Ryan smirks before draining the bottle.

"In that case, we should have another round since he's picking up the tab." The partners grin and try to get the bartender's attention for their next round.


End file.
